The visa · Morocco
Morocco
Morocco has no visa or permit written for remote workers, and there is no verified government plan to create one. Most nomads live on the 90-day visa-free stay, and those who settle apply for the one-year carte d'immatriculation at the local police prefecture as a self-supporting visitor, then register as an auto-entrepreneur if they want a local tax footing. The thing to know before applying is that the residence card has no published income floor, so approval turns on the file and the prefecture rather than on a number.
- Nomad visa · September 2026None as suchRoutes4Bases1
- Casablanca14 pieces
Remote jobs open to Morocco
Listings whose hiring region includes this country, newest first · apply on the board's own page
- SaaS Product Support JediEurope, EMEA, UK, Germany, France, European timezones
- Tier III Service Desk EngineerWorldwide
- Non-Linguistic QC (China / US Time Zone)Anywhere
- Devices & IOT Field Engineering ManagerAnywhere
- Senior Backend EngineerRemote job
- International Audio/Video Remote Armenian InterpreterAnywhere
- International Audio/Video Remote Arabic InterpretersAnywhere
- International Audio/Video Remote Afghani/Dari InterpreterAnywhere
The routes
Researched 6 September 2026 · rules as of September 2026 · as published, not legal advice
Long stay
Residence card as a self-supporting visitor (carte d'immatriculation, statut visiteur)
Carte d'immatriculation, catégorie visiteur (loi 02-03, articles 9, 15 and 17) / Registration card, visitor category
A remote worker or rentier who wants to stay beyond 90 days and can show foreign income or savings without taking Moroccan employment.
- Income floor
- none published. Law 02-03 requires proof of sufficient means of subsistence; applicants and legal guides report that no official figure exists and that bank statements, an employment contract with a foreign employer or business registration documents are accepted case by case.
- Duration
- 1 year, renewable annually; after 4 years of continuous regular residence a 10-year carte de résidence may be requested (law 02-03, article 17).
- Cost
- Fiscal stamp of 100 MAD per year of validity, paid in cash at the prefecture.
- Processing
- No statutory time. A receipt (récépissé) is issued and renewed monthly until the card arrives; recent applicant accounts report several months, older accounts around 35 days.
- Eligibility
- Any nationality. Must apply before the 90-day stay expires (guides advise at least 15 days before). Clean criminal record from the home country and from Morocco, a medical certificate, a legalised lease or title deed, and proof of means. Renewal is not automatic: the prefecture re-checks that the original conditions still hold and expects the file about two months before expiry.
- Work rights
- The visitor card is for people living on their own resources and does not authorise Moroccan employment. Work for a Moroccan employer needs a contract visaed by the Ministry of Employment. The law is silent on remote work for foreign clients; guides and applicant accounts describe it as tolerated.
- Dependants
- Spouse and children apply under family reunification with the marriage and birth certificates; each holder gets their own card.
- Leads to
- 10-year residence card after 4 years of continuous regular residence. Naturalisation is a separate discretionary procedure and is not automatic.
- Apply
- In person at the Bureau des étrangers of the police prefecture (Sûreté nationale) for the place of residence; no online portal.
Documents Passport with the entry stamp, plus copies of every page · 6 to 8 recent passport photographs · Legalised rental contract or property title (written leases under law 67-12) · Medical certificate from a Moroccan doctor · Criminal record extract from the country of citizenship and a Moroccan one · Bank statements or other proof of means of subsistence · Application form from the prefecture and the 100 MAD fiscal stamp · Health insurance evidence where the prefecture asks for it (reported, not in the statute)
Freelance / self-employed
Auto-entrepreneur status (Moukawil Dati)
Statut de l'auto-entrepreneur / Self-employed micro-enterprise status
A freelancer who already holds a residence card and wants to invoice, pay Moroccan tax on turnover and get CNSS health cover.
- Income floor
- none. Turnover ceilings instead: 200,000 MAD a year for services, 500,000 MAD for commercial, industrial and artisanal activity.
- Duration
- Open-ended while the residence card is valid and turnover stays under the ceilings.
- Cost
- Registration is free or nominal at Barid Al-Maghrib; tax is 1% of turnover for services and 0.5% for commerce, industry and crafts, plus CNSS contributions. Turnover above 80,000 MAD a year from a single client is reported to be taxed at 30%.
- Processing
- 2 to 15 days on average after filing the online declaration and depositing the papers at an authorised Barid Al-Maghrib office.
- Eligibility
- Open to foreigners with a valid temporary or permanent residence card; the residence card comes first and the status does not itself justify a card or its renewal. Certain regulated professions are excluded.
- Work rights
- Local clients and foreign clients are both allowed; the status is for independent activity, not salaried employment.
- Dependants
- None attached; dependants hold their own residence cards.
- Leads to
- no direct effect; time spent lawfully resident counts towards the 10-year card through the residence card, not through this status.
- Apply
- Online on ae.gov.ma, then in person at a Barid Al-Maghrib branch in Morocco.
Documents Online declaration on ae.gov.ma · Copy of the valid residence card · Identity document and proof of address · Filing at an authorised Barid Al-Maghrib office
Temporary stay
90-day visa-free stay plus police extension
Séjour sans carte d'immatriculation (loi 02-03, article 9) and prorogation de séjour
A nomad from a visa-exempt country staying for a season, or bridging a few extra weeks before leaving or filing for a card.
- Income floor
- none published; proof of accommodation and means is requested for an extension.
- Duration
- 90 days on entry. An extension of up to a further 90 days is granted at the discretion of the police for a documented reason; it is not a right and is reported to be given once.
- Cost
- No published fee for the extension; a fiscal stamp may be requested locally.
- Processing
- Reported as days to a few weeks; guides advise applying at least 15 days before the 90 days run out.
- Eligibility
- Visa-exempt nationals only; an in-person interview and a documented reason (medical, travel disruption, pending residence file) are reported.
- Work rights
- Tourism and visits only as published; Moroccan employment is forbidden; remote work for foreign clients is not addressed by the law and is reported as tolerated.
- Dependants
- Each family member holds their own stay and extension.
- Leads to
- no
- Apply
- In person at the police station or prefecture of the area where the traveller is staying.
Documents Passport with the entry stamp · Proof of accommodation · Proof of means of support · Written reason for the extension with supporting evidence
Other route
Residence card through a Moroccan employment contract
Carte d'immatriculation, catégorie travail (contrat de travail d'étranger visé par le ministère de l'Emploi)
A remote worker whose company opens a Moroccan entity or who takes a local job; rarely used by independent nomads.
- Income floor
- none published; the salary is set in the contract that the Ministry of Employment visas.
- Duration
- Card validity is aligned with the contract, up to 1 year, renewable; 10-year card after 4 years.
- Cost
- Fiscal stamp of 100 MAD per year of validity for the card; the contract visa process has its own administrative steps through the employer.
- Processing
- Contract visa first (employer files with the Ministry of Employment, which checks that no Moroccan is available for the post), then the card at the prefecture; overall several weeks to months as reported.
- Eligibility
- A Moroccan employer, a contract visaed by the Ministry of Employment, plus the standard card file (criminal record, medical certificate, lease).
- Work rights
- Local employment for the named employer; a change of employer needs a new visaed contract.
- Dependants
- Spouse and children through family reunification cards.
- Leads to
- 10-year residence card after 4 years of continuous regular residence.
- Apply
- Employer files with the Ministry of Employment; the worker then applies at the Bureau des étrangers of the police prefecture.
Documents Employment contract visaed by the Ministry of Employment · Passport with entry stamp and copies · Legalised lease or title · Medical certificate · Criminal record from home country and Morocco · Photographs and the 100 MAD stamp
Without a visa, by passport
The stay you get on arrival, and whether working remotely on it is tolerated
- EU / EEA / Switzerland90 days, visa-freeTourism and visits only as published; the law does not address remote work for foreign clients and it is reported as tolerated. Employment for a Moroccan employer is forbidden without a visaed contract.
- United Kingdom90 days, visa-freeSame grey status: not addressed in law 02-03, reported tolerated; overstaying without an extension leads to a court appearance before departure as the US State Department also warns.
- United States90 days, visa-freeState Department advises that staying beyond 90 days without an extension means appearing before a judge before leaving; remote work for a US employer is not addressed in law and is reported tolerated.
- Canada90 days, visa-freeGrey: no rule on remote work for foreign clients; local work forbidden without a visaed contract.
- Australia90 days, visa-freeGrey, as above.
- Indiae-visa, 30 days, single entry, valid 180 days from issueCategory A e-visa needs only a passport and a photo through the official Accès Maroc portal; remote work is not addressed. Official fee not verified this session; agency portals quote higher all-in prices.
- Brazil90 days, visa-freeGrey, as above.
- South Africavisa required (disputed)Wikipedia's policy table lists South Africa as not visa-exempt and it is not in e-visa category A; one visa-guide site claims a 90-day exemption. Holders of a valid residence permit or multiple-entry visa of the EU, US, UK, Canada, Australia and others can use e-visa categories B and C. Check acces-maroc.ma.
- Turkey90 days, visa-freeGrey, as above.
- Japan90 days, visa-freeGrey, as above.
- Mexico / Argentina90 days, visa-freeGrey, as above.
Tax
When the country starts counting you as its taxpayer
- Residency trigger
- Article 23 of the Code Général des Impôts: a person is tax-domiciled in Morocco if they have their permanent home there, or their centre of economic interests there, or if their stay in Morocco exceeds 183 days in any period of 365 days. Any one test suffices. Residents are taxed on worldwide income; non-residents on Moroccan-source income only.
- Special regime
- none for remote workers or newcomers. Income tax is progressive from 0% to 37% under the scale in force since 1 January 2025 (exempt up to 40,000 MAD a year; 10% to 60,000; 20% to 80,000; 30% to 100,000; 34% to 180,000; 37% above). The auto-entrepreneur regime taxes turnover at 1% for services and 0.5% for commerce within its ceilings. The 2026 finance law added a 20% flat rate only for employees of Casablanca Finance City companies and, from 1 January 2026, a declaration by 1 April of foreign-source investment income not subject to withholding.
- Social security
- Employees and auto-entrepreneurs contribute to the CNSS, which provides AMO health cover; for auto-entrepreneurs cover starts six months after the first contribution. A remote worker who is not registered as employed or self-employed in Morocco has no published contribution route. Morocco has bilateral social-security agreements with several European states (France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and others), so a posted-worker certificate from those countries can keep contributions at home; there is none with the US, UK, Canada or Australia in this respect that could be verified.
- Treaties
- Morocco has a wide treaty network published by the DGI; the India convention was signed on 30 October 1998 and in force from 20 February 2000, and conventions with the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and most EU states are long-standing. No treaty with Australia; coverage for Brazil and South Africa could not be verified. A resident remote employee or contractor is normally taxed in Morocco on the income earned while physically working there, with a foreign tax credit under the treaty where the other state also taxes.
Practicalities
- Bank account
- Opened in person at a branch. Non-residents get a convertible dirham account on a passport, proof of address and source of funds; a standard resident dirham account needs the residence card.
- SIM registration
- Identity registration is compulsory; the regulator ANRT prohibits pre-activated prepaid SIMs, so a passport or residence card is presented at the operator's shop.
- Health insurance
- No statutory insurance requirement for the 90-day stay. Prefectures are reported to ask for cover with the residence-card file; CNSS AMO cover follows registration as an employee or auto-entrepreneur, with a six-month wait for the latter.
- Address registration
- A written, legalised lease under law 67-12 or a title deed is required for the card; a change of address must be reported to the prefecture within 15 days.
- Tax number
- An identifiant fiscal is issued by the DGI when an activity is registered; auto-entrepreneur registration allocates one. Tourists have none.
- Residence card renewal
- File about two months before expiry; the prefecture re-checks the original conditions and late filing draws administrative fines.
- Overstay penalties
- Law 02-03, article 42, as cited by legal guides: 2,000 to 20,000 MAD and one to six months' imprisonment for unauthorised stay; reported practice is 1,000 to 5,000 MAD for short overstays, a hearing at the Tribunal de Première Instance, a payment receipt before exit, and possible re-entry bans for serious cases. No grace period exists in law.
Morocco: no nomad visa, a generous 90 days and a paper-heavy residence card
Where remote workers base and why
Morocco's draw is a 90-day stamp for roughly seventy nationalities, fibre in the big cities, a GMT+1 clock that overlaps London and New York, and a cost of living well below Western Europe. Marrakech, Essaouira and Taghazout carry the seasonal nomad crowd; Casablanca and Rabat suit people who need banks, ministries and the prefecture within reach.
The legal reality is thinner than the marketing. Nothing in law 02-03 speaks to working for a foreign employer from a laptop, so the tourist stay is a grey zone that the authorities have not, on the record, prosecuted. Anyone who wants a card must fit an existing category, and the one that fits a self-supporting remote worker is the visitor card.
What applicants report about the residence card
The card is filed in person at the Bureau des étrangers of the police prefecture, and the file is the whole game: a legalised lease, a Moroccan medical certificate, criminal record extracts from home and from Morocco, bank statements, six to eight photographs and a 100 MAD stamp. There is no published income figure, and applicants describe approval as turning on the prefecture and the quality of the paperwork rather than on a threshold.
Timelines vary. A receipt is issued first and must be renewed monthly, and accounts from 2026 speak of several months before the card arrives, with nobody calling to say it is ready. Renewal is not automatic and should be filed around two months before expiry. First-time applicants are reported to be asked for a home-country criminal record more consistently than in earlier years.
Freelancing, tax and daily money
The auto-entrepreneur status is the clean way to invoice from Morocco, but it sits downstream of the residence card and cannot be used to obtain one. Once registered, tax is 1% of turnover for services up to 200,000 MAD a year, CNSS contributions follow, and health cover starts six months later. Turnover above 80,000 MAD from a single client is reported to be taxed at 30%, which catches a freelancer with one main foreign employer.
Tax residence arrives with a permanent home, a centre of economic interests or more than 183 days in any 365, so a long stay on extensions can create it without any card. Non-residents can open a convertible dirham account on a passport; a standard account waits for the card. SIMs are registered to an identity document at the operator's counter.
What is changing
The visa side moved little for the passports nomads hold: the 2025 changes were exemptions for Kazakhstan, Ghana and Ecuador, the latter two with an electronic travel authorisation that is not yet applied to European or North American passports. The tax side moved more: a new income tax scale from January 2025 and, from January 2026, a declaration of foreign-source investment income and a flat rate reserved for Casablanca Finance City employees. Talk of a Moroccan digital-nomad or freelancer visa recurs in guide sites, but no government announcement could be verified.
Researched from acces-maroc.ma · tax.gov.ma · finances.gov.ma · blog.avocats.deloitte.fr · travel.state.gov · 9anonai.com · 9anonai.com · weepo.ma · bewilderedinmorocco.com · citizenremote.com · the authority